In a bid to resist another dengue outbreak in the national Capital, the civic bodies have stepped up measures to check mosquito breeding in both residential and isolated areas. From conducting anti-larval activities to door-to-door visits, all three Delhi Municipal Corporations -- North, East and South -- are trying to leave no stone unturned this year. However, residents say that they are not aware of any such activities in their areas.
With complaints of excessive mosquito breeding pouring in from across the Capital, the civic bodies say that they have increased the frequency of their door-to-door visits in the past few days. "We have been receiving numerous complaints of an excessive rise in mosquitoes in Delhi and following which we intensified our measures to tackle the issue. More such activities will be done in the coming days," said Yogendra Singh Mann, spokesperson for North and East civic bodies.
"Anti-larval activities are ongoing near the Yamuna and areas that have stagnant water points such as open drains. Anti-malaria teams are on their toes and they have intensified their door-to-door visits to check mosquito breeding," he said.
Meanwhile, residents claim that they are not witnessing all these activities in their localities. "I have seen no one from the authorities, taking rounds in the colonies to keep a check on the state of drainages and dumping grounds. If the authorities don't come to the ground and see the sorry state, how can they provide a solution for the issue?" asked JR Gupta, president, Senior Citizen Council of Delhi.
Echoing the sentiment, BS Vohra, president, Federation of Residents Welfare Association, said, "Just because the authorities fail to complete their duty on time, the residents all over Delhi have to suffer. Lakhs of rupees are wasted on medical check-ups. Moreover, the ways to curb this problem is also not carried out in a proper manner."
Explaining the reason behind these complaints, officials at the civic bodies claim that over 55 percent of the posts including malaria officers, malaria inspectors, field workers and domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) have been lying vacant for the past two years. "With such a less staff, it is a challenge to have ground inspections of every area which increases the possibility of breeding going unchecked. This raises major concerns for public health," said a senior officer from the North Corporation.
A massive outbreak of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya has taken a toll on public health over the past two years.
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